Computing & IT Interview Questions & Answers

It started with phone interview, where it asked basic questions about my knowledge, education and the role, after passing the phone interview I was invited to join assessment day in Worthing offices and was warned about Java basic test that will be held in assesment day. During the assessment day I was 20min early and had a good chat with the consultant manager. The assessment day started at 9am and finished at around 4pm. In the begining all of us took Java basic test (Even tho I never studied Java, I was learning C++ in university, I found the test very simple, it's only basic knowledge of programming), after the test we had to take on tasks. There was around 13 tasks to do, where we had to split the work to deliver all the tasks by the deadline. Also we had to arrange our lunch break, everyone was focused on work, so we just ordered Dominos pizza for delivery. Through all the day there was business (personality and character) and technical (programming and education) interviews keeping place, where we had to arrange the order who is going to the interview next, they took 15mins each. At the end of the day we had to present all the tasks we did to the current employees and explain what challenges we faced.

Explain the principles of Object Orientated programming.
What is the difference between Java and C++.

Before the assessment day, read about basic Java programming and its principles. Look smart, act smart, don't compete against other candidates, because they take people in intakes, so there is no set number how many people they are taking, if they will like you, they can take the whole group, it's all about showing yourself working inside a group, not competing against each other.

Tasks were very different from each other, from creativity tasks to technical tasks. We had to select our project manager and arrange tasks for each of us, so we would fit into time limit.

The interview took place on the same day as the assessment centre at the company HQ in Addlestone near London - It was a work strengths based interview, which focused on softer aspects of work skills; I was asked to give examples of when I had worked as part of a team, when I had led a group or had to make decisions for people. I was also asked about times I had had to creatively solve problems and how I went about creating solutions. Another thing I was asked about was my work experience and what challenges I had faced.

My anticipation was that the interview would be fairly technical, however the focus was entirely on softer skills. Most of the questioning seemed to focus on getting me to talk about communication skills, group work, solutions-oriented thinking and professionalism (for example, I was asked about conflict resolution and if I'd ever had personal issues with someone in a professional environment; if so how I'd dealt with the situation etc).

The interview was about 40 minutes in duration and was quite tailored to the application I had filled out, in that my responses to the application had informed and flavored the interview they set out for me. It was a one-on-one session and fairly relaxed as these things go.

The format of the interview was quite traditional and favored the interviewee (me) in leading the discussion - the questions essentially served as prompts for me to try and bring up the things I felt were relevant and gave me a fair degree of freedom to direct the discussion.

Other topics included what had attracted me to the role, why did I think I would be well suited to the placement etc. We also discussed what sort of things I had been working on while at university and what my career plans were. There was also the standard questions section to conclude.

The questions were quite tailored to the responses to my application, so they weren't too bad. The hard thing was trying not to return to the same examples if I was asked a similar question to one I had already answered.

Firstly I'd advise candidates not to stress too much - I think I went to this assessment centre too stressed. I was anticipating a heavy focus on technical ability and as such spent the previous two nights revising pointers, memory management and design patterns. On the day, the focus was much more on group work, communication and softer work skills. As with anything like this, just make sure you're polite, well-presented and engaged. Try to be inclusive and come across well in the group tasks; it can be easy to accidentally come across as trying to dominate the group discussion aspects of the assessment, which is something you should aim to avoid.

I would advise just turning up well rested and positive. Remember to bring pens etc, but I wouldn't bother taking a notepad or the like - I went expecting to take notes but didn't really need to at all. Also if you're travelling a long way, I'd recommend staying somewhere the night before. They reimburse up to £100 of travel expense, so it's definitely worth doing to make sure you're fresh and ready on the day.

The format of the interview and the day in general was very favorable, as the candidates were given a deal of opportunity to show our ability and individuality. Approach it more as a way to find out more information about the position and whether you think it would be right for you.

At the assessment centre we were asked first to participate in a group task: We were given a scenario in which we were recently employed graduates at a hypothetical company which was trying to expand it's consumer base; we were presented with a variety of promotional ideas and materials and asked to evaluate them and provide a list of pros and cons for each.

There was also an hour long written assessment based on this same hypothetical company. This was a solo task, which again had the candidate review material for this imaginary company in order to create a list of issues, ranked by severity. The task also had the candidate pick the 3 most important issues, defend the picking of them and suggest means by which the issues could be solved.

My initial telephone interview was conducted by a graduate recruiter and last no more than 30 minutes. The recruiter was really friendly and down to Earth who made me feel relaxed prior to the start of the interview.
The questions consisted of "What is it that attracts you to the scheme?", "Why do you want to work for this company?" and the typical "Describe a time when you worked in a team during a difficult period".

Upon completion of the telephone interview I was invited to an assessment day which required me to prepare a presentation out of a few chosen topics which was emailed over and had to be submitted prior to the day. The assessment day consisted of several aspects these being: One-to-One interview, presentation, analytical tests and a group task.

The most difficult question faced during the day were the questions asked following the presentation. The graduate members listening in were trying to make sure you knew what you were talking about incase you simply copied and pasted some information into your slides. The interviewer was very friendly so you should not worry about any difficult questions during that likewise with the group work. Just be yourself and take a moment to think of your response before giving your final answer, there is no pressure so stay calm.

Based on my assessment day, just be yourself! everyone was level headed and would be able to spot if you're trying too hard.
I'd recommend preparing yourself for the telephone interview by writing your potential answers to the questions I've listed above, but don't worry about the telephone interview or assessment day as everyone was friendly and made you feel at ease.
Best of luck.

Before the day started, we were told that we wouldn't be competing against each other which made everyone feel at ease. Every single member of staff who was around that day made us feel very welcome.
We first began the day by having analytical tests, mostly multiple choice questions which lasted approximately 30 minutes after this we were then taken one by one (at various times) to conduct our presentation to a group of 5 recent graduate scheme members. For those who were not doing their presentations were given the opportunity to talk to recent graduate members who were able to tell us about the potential work if we got the job. The actual presentation last about 15 minutes followed by a few questions aimed to make sure you know what you're talking about.
The actual interview lasted 45 minutes and felt more like a friendly conversation talking about your past and interests; The interviewer and I spent approximately 15 minutes talking about music so it's nothing to dread.
Finally, for the group work, we were split into several groups of 4 and were given 1 hour to analyse a task a decide upon one final solution out of a list of 3 and then present the final solution along with our reasoning; This was conducted in front of a group of senior members who are looking mainly for your team working skills in addition to your problem solving skills.
When the day was over we were told that we'd be informed within 3 weeks of the outcome and were thanked for participating.

Started with the on-line assessment which consisted of numerical, verbal reasoning and psychometric analysis. After clearing this test, there was a telephonic interview which lasted for 15 mins where I was asked about my IT and project management skills and brief discussion about my previous work experience. Also, they asked me about the company and told me about their job specifications.

How will you implement your skills in our organisation?
How are you planning for your future?

Be clam, clear and compose. Read thoroughly about the company you are going to apply and clearly understand what the company wants from you for the applied job role. Don't be tensed.

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I was given a numerical test to prove that I was capable of doing basic maths, it wasn't too hard, but with a time limit there was some pressure. Followed was a test on technical knowledge, this proved to a little difficult as some of the questions where quite random such as the death a known inventor of some language, it may have been just me, but I thought it was difficult enough.

I understand that the role was for a Software Testing role, and we were given a test on programming languages, such as C#, Java, Visual Basic, Pearl etc, to prove what we knew. I had no experience with software development as my expertise was in Web Development, but I would say it was quite easy for those that know have done a Software Engineering or Computer Science course.

Next on the agenda was having to perform team work exercise. This involved 4 people to a team. We were divided up into 3 work types, 1 Architect, 1 Manager and 2 Workers. I had received the worker role. We were placed in 2 different rooms where the architect was in one the workers were in another and the manager was to go from one room to the next. The architect would describe to the manager was a figure looked like to the manager and the manager would then communicate to us what it looked like and we would then try to recreate it out of Haribo sweets. It was a communication exercise, wasn't too difficult and was quite fun.

Next was a role playing exercise where we would have to act out a certain situation. I and two others were given a scenario where a client needed a bit of work finished by the end of the weekend, but the 2 people who had been assigned to this project were quite busy, 1 going to a rugby match, and the other had to go to their sister's wedding. The 2 had to sort with themselves what they needed to do to make sure that all parties were happy.

After this was just a short 10-15 minute interview with quite easy questions.

I was not sure about this job before I went, but after I really wanted it! I didn't get the job in the end because of my lack of technical knowledge, but the interviewers were very kind to ring up when you didn't get the job and provided answers as to what they thought of you during each section and how you could improve in the future interviews. I found this part extremely helpful and really glad I had attended this assessment day, even though I was not successful.

Why would you choose this type of consultant role over others?

Don't ramble through your answers to the interview, be precise about the answer. You do not need to keep talking to impress the interviewer.

Make sure you come in confident, don't be quiet at the start and just get talking to people and forming a good team spirit.

It was set in a different building from the company, but it was comfortable with refreshments, plenty of breaks and free mints! I quite enjoyed the free mints. :)

There was no telephone interview for the role, instead the interview was a group assessment day which included group exercises, a presentation and a one on one interview. The group consisted of approx 10 applicants and around the same number of staff.

After introductions, the group was split and while one toured the facilities, the other conducted a group exercise. The groups then swapped over after an hour or so. There was then a further individual exercise before a one on one interview.

At the one on one interview, which lasted around 20 minutes, the assessor discussed your individual exercise and then asked a series of questions to show your competency for the role. For these they asked you to apply scenarios where you could prove your knowledge. Any questions about the role were answered here.

Following the one on one interview, applicants had the opportunity to speak to employees who had completed the scheme and ask any questions they wanted.

Describe how you would improve the communication within the company using IT equipment?

Tell me about a time you had an innovative idea?

Don't just research standard interview questions, be prepared to think outside the box and provide real-life examples.

The assessment day for around 10-15 people included a tour of the offices, a presentation about the company, a one on one interview including a presentation made by the applicant, a question and answer session with employees and management and group exercises.

There are 3 interviews in total: a telephone interview with the recruiter (they are responsible for selecting and onboarding newcomers); 2 face-face interviews during the assessment centre one with the account manager and one with the trainer.

The telephone interview was to determine my suitability for the graduate scheme with the 2 years contract. They will ask about your capabilities to determine your suitability for that particular graduate scheme pathway, I applied for both Project Support and IT Service Management so they asked me on which path I would prefer more. I consulted with them on both and since I had some experience in coding we decided IT Service Management would be more suitable for me.

They also asked other basic questions to determine my suitability, previous work experience, why do I want to apply for FDM, why a career in IT field and so on. They also explained about the 2 years contract and what they expect from you during that time. If everything is ok, they will go on to invite you to the assessment centre and give more information on that.

At the face to face interview, I was asked to explain how I fit into the core values of FDM. This gave me pause as I blanked out on their core values for a few seconds.

They also asked what recent development in IT that interested me and that I found out more about.

Prepare for the Assessment Centre by researching about FDM and the IT field, also try some free online logic tests and math tests to brush up on your speed and logical thinking abilities.

Interact with the recruiter and the interviewers during the assessment centre without becoming obnoxious. Raise a hand if you need to ask a question, be friendly with the other candidates in the assessment centre. You will not be competing with each other as they are probably applying for different pathways as well.

The assessment centre consisted of a sharing session with the recruiter, she explained in detail about the opportunity and the training provided to new graduates. The clients that they have in their portfolio (mainly MNCs like Standard Chartered, GSK etc.) An HR person also came in to explain about the company, their benefits, support and opportunities provided to their employees.

Next were the tests, about 2.5 hours long together. It consisted of an Aptitude test, Set Notation test and a Math test.
Aptitude test (1 hr)- mainly logic questions and a couple of questions on codes (they will give a few lines of code and you will be asked to find out what the final result will be, basic C knowledge is enough for this)
Set Notation test (1hr)- A booklet with the set notation rules and theory are given for your reference. I found this the most difficult as it needs you to decipher convoluted set notations and Venn diagrams. You need to think very logically to get the correct answers.
Math Test (15min)- Mental arithmetic test where you need to answer 21 questions in 15 mins. Ensure your math multiplication tables, long division are at the top of your head as no calculators are allowed. You are given white papers to calculate on. The questions aren't difficult but the difficulty is in ensuring you are not making errors in calculations and to finish within the time limit

Finally is the Interview section, 2 interviews one with the Account Manager and one with the Trainer. The one with the account manager was more on the correct fit while the one with the trainer is more on your technical capabilities. They will ask about your career plan, how you will fit into FDM and your previous experiences and so on.

What do you do when you have a deadline approaching and you still have tasks to complete?

There is no telephone interview and the only interview you can expect to face is at the assessment day. The interview is usually one on one, although on some occasions a senior manager may have come to visit and decided to sit in on your interview. This was the case for me, however, they are merely there to observe and wont ask questions. The interview lasted for about 45 mins and the interview spent a good time trying to get to know me on a personal basis, my motivations in life as well as the odd question about JLR. This was pretty informal and relaxed. The rest of the interview was competency based.

Why would you be a good asset for Jaguar Land Rover?

Research the company and the current automotive sector. Practices psychometric testing extensively.

The organisation was very professional providing the candidates with refreshments through out the day. Every candidate will have a personal time table handed to them, which details what they will be doing for the day and when. My first task was a group exercise and this was completed with 5 other candidates. The exercise had a lot of information, however, this was all pretty straight forward. My task was to make a case and back it up and for the whole group to come to a unified decision. Secondly, was the role play exercise. I had to deal with an angry senior manager and solve their problems. Then it was the psychometric testing. This was very hard and consisted of a numerical, verbal and logical testing, lasting for a total of 1.5 hours (30 mins each test). Finally, was the telephone interview.

Everyone involved in the recruitment process was very friendly; they didn't give any prompts when asking a question though. It was clear that everyone I spoke to enjoys working for the company which was nice to see. The video interview was focused on my motivation behind applying, the telephone interview was lots of info about the scheme and the assessment day was focused on finding out more about company culture and them seeing if I was a good cultural fit and had an aptitude for technology, even though I did not come from a Techy background.

Do you think of yourself as a resilient person? Can you provide an example in which you have demonstrated resilience?

Be yourself, they seem to value honesty and personality. Being a consultancy, I know that they are not only looking for the 'hands on' skills but also a good culture/personality fit, someone that would feel comfortable working in a team.

There were 2 tests - one multiple choice maths and a technical aptitude test. I had an interview with two managers and spent some time with the Graduate Scheme team too. I was introduced to people currently in the middle of the Graduate Scheme. The day was down to earth and friendly, I learned a lot about the company.